


Practicing parenting

by ramblesandshambles



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caryl, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2019-02-11 08:16:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 13,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12931248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramblesandshambles/pseuds/ramblesandshambles
Summary: Daryl does his brother a favour and ends up learning more than he needs to know.





	1. Chapter 1

“I can’t believe you slept with him again!” Michonne hissed at Carol, they were both standing in the supermarket staring at the pregnancy tests, “And you didn’t use anything.”

 

“I know, I know… I couldn’t help it, I was a little tiddly and he’s so freaken cute…” Carol whispered, “But you think I should of learnt my lesson last time when he didn’t call and we ended up passing each other awkwardly in the hallway for months.”

 

“I told Rick not to invite him to the bbq… but no… he had to then you had to go screw him again.”

 

“This isn’t helping… just tell me which one is the best to use.” Carol said.

 

“Maybe get a couple… how late are you?” 

 

“Seven weeks…” Carol whispered.

 

“Seven weeks…. Late or its been seven weeks since your period?”

 

“Seven weeks late for my period.” Carol whispered.

 

“How many times have you slept with him?”

 

“That time last year, a few months ago and at the bbq…” Carol’s face flamed. 

 

Daryl Dixon the bane of his life ever since they lived in the same apartment building had screwed each other every time they had a few drinks in them and then never spoke of it again until the next time they had a few drinks at a friendly encounter with friends. Daryl was the younger brother of Merle Dixon who was dating Maggie Greene. And was best friends with Glenn Rhee who was dating Shane Walsh who worked with Rick Grimes who was Michonne's partner. Its was a complicated group of friends but Carol and Daryl always shared a cab home and by the time they made it to their apartments across the hall from each other they usually had their tongues down each others throats and one thing led to another.

 

“Soooo… you could be what… 12 weeks along I don’t think it matters which one we grab.” She picked up two and both of them hide them behind their back as one Daryl Dixon that they had been talking about come along the isle blushing red like he didn’t want to be there. He went even redder when he saw Carol and Michonne standing there.

 

“Hi…” He nodded at them and then turned to stare at the huge tampon display. He reached out and grabbed a huge box of tampons for super flow and a packet of post baby pads. And shoved them in his basket. He nodded and went to leave.

 

“Wait…. Wait … wait a minute.” Carol called out to him. “Who are they for?”

 

Carol had seen out her window that he had his brothers wayward ferrial teen with him that morning. Merle had had custody of her since she was a baby and he might have missed a few moments when he should of been teaching her how to become a young lady. “Are those for Charlie?”

 

“Mhmm,” he started to mumble something. 

 

“You can’t buy those for Charlie…” Carol stated, she shoved her pregnancy test in Michonnes basket and took the packets out of Daryl’s basket, Merles daughter was somewhat out of control and more and more  like Merle. Maggie had tried and tried with her that she was just about ready to pull her hair out because Charlie told her to go screw herself on a daily basis and Merle thought she was going to leave him soon because Charlie was so out of control. So Daryl agreed to have her for a long weekend and Merle and Maggie were having a weekend away to work on their relationship, but the joke was on Daryl because the girl got her first period.

 

“Those are… are like … a … you know it's like a bigger garage needs a bigger car to park in it…. a smaller newer garage only needs a small car… small car Daryl…” Carol tried to explain to him. She held up the box of pettie tampons to him and he just stared at her not understanding what she was trying to tell him all the while Michonne was laughing at his expense. “These… are for small teen girls and these are for women…”

 

“But I got small…” Daryl stated grabbing the box back with the S stamped on the side.

 

“Daryl in Tampon Land, you have to think in “absorbency levels,” not sizes. Here “S” stands for “Super” and “L” means “Light.” There’s also an “R” for “Regular.” And let us not forget the “S+.....”

 

“Shut up… shut up…” Daryl put his hands over his ears.

 

“Women who have had babies.” Michonne said… “And those are maternity pads… for women who are bleeding after giving birth to babies….”

 

Daryl wanted to run… run fast away, he glanced down at Michonnes basket and then at Carol then at Carol’s boobs. 

 

“Ok… fuck, just she said tampax… and pads…” he whispered, “How the fuck should I know.”

 

“And they don’t need gigantic pads either…. No woman really needs gigantic pads….”

 

“Unless they just had a baby.” Michonne put in.

 

“ Yes, we can bleed for five days without dying. That doesn't mean you can't trust a woman; it means you should be fucking impressed with us.” Carol told him, “You should buy her some coke and crisps and chocolate…”

 

“I suppose I can’t take her hunting now!” He commented looking at Carol.

 

“A period does not attract bears you know.” Carol said, Daryl looked away and Carol continued saying, “But maybe if its her first one I wouldn’t take her anywhere.”

 

“Carol what are you doing after?” Daryl asked Carol looking directly at her.

 

“Oh Carol and I have to do a thing…” Michonne put in putting the basket with the pregnancy test behind her back. “Have fun with your niece Daryl… and there are directions inside the pack if you need them… or she needs them.”   
  


“I’ll be home soon, if she needs help just come over and get me, I’ll help her… I mean I’ll talk her through it.” Carol said. 

 

“So these ones?” Daryl asked looking at the tampons and pads Michonne was putting in his basket, “Anything else?”

 

“Pain meds and maybe a hot water bottle.” Carol said.

 

“Why does she need pain meds?” Daryl looked confused.

 

“This is what cramps are like: Imagine there is a tiny, evil gremlin inside of the lowest reaches of your stomach viciously trying to claw its way out of your bowels, tearing away at your insides in an attempt to free itself. Yes, they fucking hurts!” Michonne told him. Daryl shuddered.

 

“Fuck my life… what did I do to deserve this.” Daryl mumbled as he wave them away and headed down picking up pain meds heading over to the treat isle.

 

“So Carol let's go home and you can see if Mr Dixon there knocked you up.” Michonne said. “Then you can go over and talk to him about his niece and tell him to start practicing parenting.”


	2. Chapter 2

(((((((((((((((((((((((((

 

“Pregnant.” Michonne said looking over Carol’s shoulder.

 

“I can see that.”

 

“You going to tell him?”

 

“Of course I know I’m going to tell him.”

 

“Now?” Michonne said. “Cos I’m free, Rick’s still on shift.”

 

“No you are not coming to hear about it.” Carol said, “He doesn’t need a audience.” 

 

“Cos I’ve plenty of time… are you sure I can’t come over.” Michonne was treated with a evil glare.

 

“I don’t know if I’m going to tell him tonight any way. I might go to the doctor and find out how far along I am.” Carol said.

 

There was a knock at the door. Michonne went and flung it open and Carol quickly tossed the test into the kitchen sink so he didn’t see it in her had. Daryl stood there and looked frustrated as hell.

 

“I need you.” Was all he said and he turned and left. Carol shrugged and followed him. Michonne headed out with her bag over her shoulder and made the call me sign for ‘let me know what happens.’

 

Carol went across the hall and there was a strange odor in Daryl’s home.

 

“She refuses to shower, and change her clothes or anything Maggie suggest her to do on purpose…. Can you?” Daryl looked at her with pleading eyes.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because she wants to keep Merle to herself and if she’s mean to Maggie they will eventually split and she will get her way so can you please help.” Daryl mumbled but Maggies hung in there for a year, so I think she must like Merle.”

 

“I can try… I also… we um… we need to talk.” Carol glanced at him, she looked him up and down from his black tee shirt that sported a band tee shirt and he had changed into pajama pants. Carol didn’t know he was the type to wear pajama pants but there he was. She guess it was because of his neice. Darling Charlotte who used to be a sweet little thing that Merle had decked out in combat pants and army shirts. Not thinking the little girl had needed normal clothes even just normal blue jeans. According to Maggie the girl refused to even try the bra she had brought her.

 

Carol tapped on the bedroom doo. “Charlie… its Carol… remember me? I baby sat for you sometimes during the holidays… uncle Daryl’s friend…”   
  
Carol headed in without a invitation to the bedroom. She couldn’t believe the smell. 

 

“Shower now… you stink. I’m not talking to you while you smell like garbage.” Carol said pointing to the ensuite. Charlie looked at her like she was going to accept Carol’s challenge. “Shower now… I’m pregnant and I’m gonna hurl with this smell and you will have to clean it up.”

 

“Pregnant? How?” Charlie asked as she stomped off into the bathroom. Carol heard the shower turn on and waited for a minute before slipping in and grabbing the dirty clothes to take out for Daryl to put in the washer dryer he had in his apartment.

 

“Pregnant?” Daryl asked as she opened the door. His eyes were wide. “Pregnant… its not…. Its not mine is it?” He asked. Carol just stared at him.

 

“No… I mean… can we talk about this later, after I’ve dealt with her?”

 

“Its mine…” He hissed, he’d gone extremely pale. “But we only done it a few times.”

 

“You only need one sperm Daryl… and what does she mean how did I get pregnant, she knows how babies are made right? Why she has her thing?” Carol asked him.

 

“Its mine?” he stood there dumbfounded like he had no idea he had even been  part of the baby making. “How… what… I think I’m going to faint.”

 

“Sit down and put your head between your knees, you will be fine. Where is her bag?”

 

“Its by the couch, she’s refusing to wear anything Maggie touched.” Daryl mumbled.

 

Carol grabbed the bag and took it through to the bedroom and there was steam coming out the shower door. Carol tapped on it. 

 

“Tell me why you don’t like Maggie?” Carol called out.

 

“I don’t know… I just want my dad.”

 

“Don’t you want a mum?”

 

“Not her!” Come the reply.

 

Carol couldn’t understand Maggie was a sweetheart and she didn’t know why she put up with Merle at all.

 

“Why…”

 

“She makes me do stuff…” Charlie replied.

 

“Like…”

 

“Do washing and wear ‘appropriate’ clothes,” Charlie said in a tone that made it sound like Maggie hung her by her neck from the ceiling. “She made me cut my hair.”

 

“In all fairness…. You hadn’t had it cut since you were born and you had nits…. From school. And it still long.” Carol said, remembering Maggie ringing her in hysteric’s when Charlie had come home from school with head lice a few months back.

 

“And she said…. She said I wasn’t allowed to sleep in dads room on the pull out bed because I was getting too old and I needed to have a proper bedtime… she horrible…. She made me eat pea’s and tried to poison me.”

 

“Charlie none of those things sound bad.”

 

“She brought me these,” Charlie come into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her and looked in her bag and pulled out two sports bra’s. “I don’t want them…” 

 

“Charlie… you need to wear a bra if you are running or playing sport …. Or even shooting because… when you run they hurt.” Carol gestured to her boob area, “And all those things you don’t like about Maggie are things that most kids don’t like about their moms. So give Maggie a break, she’s good for your dad and makes him happy.”

 

Charlie gave Carol the evil glare. “Fine… I’ll wear them and the underwear…”

 

Carol giggled because Dixons were renowned for not wearing underwear at all, Merle and Daryl never wore any. Charlie must have picked that up as well.

 

“And you need to shower… every day. Especially at that time of the month.” Carol told her. “And do you know how babies are made…”   
  
“Oh my god…. STOP… Maggie already told me. His dick goes into your vaginia and you fuck….” Charlie told her. “I mean… um…. Sorry for being crass dad will go nuts don’t tell him I said that. Maggie didn’t tell me like that… I just heard some boys talking about it.”

 

“Ok.. we will keep that to ourselves… now get yourself ready for bed, and if you need me I’m right across the hall.” Carol said.

 

“Ok… thanks Carol…” Charlie said.

 

Carol went out to the lounge Daryl still had his head between his knees. “I think I’m having a panic attack.” He said to her.

 

“You will be fine… now I’m just going across the hall to get something I will be back shortly.” She told him. They both knew she was lying and just giving herself some time to think.


	3. Chapter 3

“Has Carol gone?” Charlie put her head around the corner looking at her uncle who was still sitting with his head between his knees, “I like her… do you think Dad might like her instead of Maggie?”

 

Daryl looked up at his niece. “No I don’t think your dad likes her, and he’s quite happy with Maggie too if you didn’t behave like a little brat, whats up with that anyway?”

 

“I don’t know… I just liked it when it was us.”

 

“And what about your dad huh?” Daryl asked her, “When you get a boyfriend or married is he just supposed to sit about alone?”

 

“No… ew boys are smelly,” Charlie said, she blushed, “Well Mike isn’t that smelly.”

 

“You are too young to be looking at boys… you need to eat then go to bed.” Daryl said.

 

“Why?”

 

“Cos I said.”

 

“Is Carol coming over?”

 

“NO…”

 

“She’s pretty,” Charlie said. “Have you ever thought about asking her out on a date?”

 

“She’s pretty,” Daryl said. “Now stop being nosy and go.”

 

“Maggies pretty too, she doesn’t like me though.”

 

“Yes she does.”

 

“No she doesn’t she keeps trying to change me, make me do stuff.”

 

“Like what. Stuff your mother should of done, like wash your hair and put some deodorant on, and underwear, that's what Ma’s do, make you look good so people don’t think you live with rubbish people, or your dad has no taste.”

 

Charlie just glared at Daryl.

 

“Yip and thats the look most teenagers give their mothers. Its ok to like Maggie, at least she’s not going to send you to school looking like a idiot like you dad would in camo gear or something.” Daryl said. “You could do a lot worse than Maggie, she likes you and you like her so stop giving her such a hard time. At least she must love your old dad’s stinky ass other wise she would have run for the hills already.”

 

“Do not…”

 

“You do now go to bed I’ve got some things to think about.” Daryl said. Charlie skipped into the kitchen and then off to her bedroom where she stayed in while she stayed with Daryl. Daryl looked at his front door and at the time wondering if Carol would be asleep.

 

He picked up his phone and wondered if he should call…. Then he decided to slip out of his apartment and go knock on her door. He tapped on Charlies door first to tell her he was just popping over to borrow something from Carol and he would be back in a few minutes.

 

His heart was pounding when he tapped on her front door, she opened it and was standing there in front of him in her shortie pj’s and bare feet, he looked her up and down and asked… “Can I come in?”

 

“Sure… I’ve been waiting for you to stop by.” Carol said, she stepped aside for him to come in.


	4. Chapter 4

“You’re pregnant?” Daryl asked her just to be sure. 

 

“Yes…” Carol took a breath and gestured towards the couch, he shook his head he didn’t want to sit down. His head was spinning.

 

“Is it mine?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Do you want to… Are you sure its mine?” Daryl asked, she stared at him wondering what sort of person he thought she was. “I mean… am I… its mine you are sure of it?”

 

“One hundred percent sure its yours, I haven’t been with anyone else.” Carol said. “Look I just found out, I’ll make an appointment and find out how far along I am ok then I’ll let you know.”

 

He didn’t look at her and just nodded and went to walk out. She called out after him.

 

“Daryl… no one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to do ok.” She said to his back, he stopped at the door and then slipped out, she walked across and locked it behind him. She didn’t blame him it was a shock for her as for him. He needed to have some time to think about it.

 

Carol went to bed and tried not to think about being pregnant not until she had been to see the doctor and had it confirmed then she would sit down and have a serious talk with Daryl.

 

***************

 

Three days later she had been to the doctors and it was confirmed that she was 11 weeks and four days pregnant. She text Daryl and asked him if she could meet up with him after work. He suggested going to a dinner near their place. 

 

A few hours later she met him there and sat down across from him. 

 

“Hey how are you?” He asked her.

 

“Fine, how was Charlie? She go home ok?” 

 

“Yeah she even hugged Maggie. Thank you for talking with her.” 

 

“Its ok.”  She said, the waitress come over and took their order, She looked at him and took a breath. “So I went to the doctor and I had a scan, I’m 11 weeks along.” 

 

“God!” He put his hands over his face. “I was kinda hoping it was  a mistake… or a woman thing.”

 

“You what?”

 

“I thought maybe… look, I don't know what to say here. Its not like we planned it. Do you wanna you know… have it.”

 

“Yes. I am not… I’m not doing that.” Carol stopped talking when the waitress brought their food over, she didn’t feel like eating now because of what Daryl was saying.

 

They both started picking at their food and finally Carol asked. “What are you thinking?”

 

“I don’t think I want to be a dad… I mean, are you ready to be a mom?”

 

“I don’t know… I’m going to try.”

 

“I just don’t think I want too.” Daryl said quietly, he was talking quietly so no one could hear him. “I didn’t think… we barely know each other…. It was just some fun.”

 

“Its ok Daryl I get it. Take some time and get back to me soon after you had some time to think about it ok.” Carol pulled out some money out of her wallet and dropped it on the table to cover her share of the bill and got up leaving the restaurant and leaving Daryl sitting there. Even though they were both going home to the same place. She left and went home alone.


	5. Chapter 5

*******

 

“What do you mean he hasn’t talked to you for two weeks?” Maggie asked Carol, she and Michonne were having coffee with Carol on their usual Thursday lunch time catch up. “I’m going to kill him!”

 

“Don’t… maybe he just needs more time.” Carol said, “I don’t know, I’ve just gone into my second trimester and maybe he just doesn’t want to know, and his choice is to avoid me.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Well I’m not sure but I’m sure he parks his truck around the corner until he see’s me go in and then comes in about fifteen minutes after I do to avoid me on the stairs and he’s always gone way before I leave. We used to pass each other all the time.”

 

“You could go to his work place,” Michonne suggested, “As he hasn’t replied to your text to set up a meeting.”

 

“I think I will give it a few more days and then do that. I don’t want to be doing this for the next six months its silly.” Carol said.

 

*******************

 

After a weekend of Daryl dodging her and not answering her she decided to take things into her own hands. She took an hour off work and had spoken to Maggie in regards to how busy Daryl was. Maggie worked with Daryl at the garage. Maggie was one of the best diesel mechanics about and she worked for the Dixon brothers before she started dating Merle. Daryl and Merle were still a bit scared of her so when She sent Daryl down to his office he went no questions asked.

 

Carol was waiting in Daryls office, sitting in his chair at his desk when Maggie sent him in there. Maggie only felt a little guilty for setting him up but time was ticking by and Carol needed answers. 

 

Daryl stopped in shock when he saw her sitting there. 

 

“Uh… hi….”

 

“Hi, take a seat, we need to talk, this was the only way I could think of to get you to talk with me.” Carol said.

 

“Yeah… about that…” He said. “I was going to call but I didn’t know what to say.”

 

“Thats ok. I just need to know.” Carol said.

 

Daryl looked everywhere in his office except at her. The fact that she was sitting behind his desk and had taken charge. He’d always had a crush on her, she was sexy as hell but she was way way out of his league and he had been tapping above his weight every time he had slept with her. He’d often thought about asking her out but he had seen her going on dates with guys that made more money than him. Wore suits and ties and just were everything his wasn’t. 

 

“I’m out. I’m tapping out. I’ll set up some money for ya to use or whatever but…. I’m not set on being a dad. K… just can’t do it.” Daryl said, he ducked his head and raced out of there and a few moments later she heard Merle calling after him and the sounds of his bike leaving the garage.    
  


Carol felt nothing, she felt  numb and Maggie come in and hugged her to see if she was ok. Carol just shook her head. She couldn’t believe it.

 

“I’m going to kill him…” Maggie hissed, Merle come to the door, he looked in at the women hugging and shook his head. He didn’t know what his brother was thinking. He would try talk him around.

 

“Its ok… I have to go to work, I’ll talk to you both later ok. Thanks for everything.” Carol said. 

 

Carol left the garage and started heading back towards her work, a little book shop with a cafe attached which she owned with Michonne. Michonne wasn’t going to be happy either, Carol didn’t know if she could be bothered with it and she text her saying that she was taking the rest of the day off because Daryl bounced. 

 

Michonne tried to call her back but she didn’t answer, Carol drove around for a while before driving past a real estate office and decided to go in. She wasn’t going to spend the rest of the year walking back and forwards past his door when he didn’t want the baby, nor did she want to lug the baby and stuff up and down stairs every day.

(((((((((((((((


	6. Chapter 6

 

By the weekend Carol had managed to put an offer in on a large old fashion three bedroom home with a big backyard that backed onto a wooded reserve. The house needed a lot of work. More than she was able to do but it was in her price range and the shittiest house in the best neighbourhood. 

 

She could afford the mortgage with her wage she drew from the shop and even taking some time off she could still afford it. She walked around the house on her own when she got the keys and spun in the the big old fashion lounge. She laughed at herself looking at the peeling wall paper and the old carpet. It would be ok for now. She would do it up one room at a time. 

 

She never went back to her apartment. She sent in packers and they shifted everything to her new home for her. So by the end of the day she had her bed set up and was sitting on her couch eating take out talking to a kitten that had seemed to have appeared from under the house.

 

“Just you and me kitten, what will we call you?” She tickled the little black and white kitten on top of her head and around her ears. “You kinda look like a sushi roll. Do you like that? Sushi?”

 

The kitten purred and crawled up to her shoulder and snuggled in there. “Where did you come from? I hope you don’t belong to someone?”

 

Carol looked around her new little home and put her hands up patting the kitten, she didn’t expect to have a pet, she didn’t expect the house shift to go so easy. She just didn’t want to pass Daryl constantly in the hallway day in and day out as she got bigger and bigger in her stomach.

 

There was a knock at the door and she stood up taking the small kitten with her. She peered through the eye hole seeing both Maggie and Michonne there holding boxes of goodness knows what. She opened the door.

 

“Oh my goodness you got a kitten.” Maggie squealed reaching out to cuddle the kitten, “Charlie… come see what Carol has.” Maggie called behind her. Charlie was hanging back from where Maggie was. “Come on you wanted to come see where Carol moved too.”

 

“Come in Charlie… I think I have some soda,” Carol called down the path, the girl come up the path dress in clothes that looked very cute and unlike anything that Merle would ever have brought her.

 

“She let me take her shopping,” Maggie whispered.

 

“You look amazing.” Carol said, she held out her arms and the girl come and hugged her. Charlie actually blushed.

 

Michonne had disappeared into the house and was looking around, opening doors and looking down the hallway.

 

“Well its a good job I know a good builder… and a plumber… and a decorator… but I think I’m going to have to sleep with a electrician to help you.”

 

“Mich… shush…” Maggie called out.

 

“I’m here… you’re welcome.” Glenn come in behind Maggie, Shane Walsh his boyfriend trailed up the path behind him carrying a huge box. “Hi, hi, hi,” Glenn almost danced into the house in his usual style. Flamboyant and excited. Shane just rolled his eyes and muttered an appology for intruding.

 

Carol shook her head and said it was fine. She gave them both a hug after Shane deposited the large box on the coffee table.

 

“There isn’t a puppy in there is there?” Carol asked them.

 

“No… no, its some things to make the house homely and its a welcome home party… well its a welcome to your home party.”

 

“I’m sorry Carol… but you know how Glenn is, he likes to put his special touch on everyone’s home whether they want it or not.” Shane said. “But how are you?”

 

“I’m doing ok, it will be ok.” Carol said. She always had a soft spot for Shane having gone through high school with him and stood by him when he come out of the closet, even though sometimes Glenn drove her crazy his heart was in the right spot and Shane would always have her back.

 

“If you need a birthing partner or anyone to get you ice cream at two in the morning… call me. Or I can do anything? Put up a crib and paint a nursery or something?” Shane suggested.

 

“Thankyou… I will take you up on all those offers. But no Glenn in the nursery ok?” Carol told him.

 

“No problem.” Shane said, they both watched Glenn flit around the lounge hanging up paintings and funky art. Carol liked the style and Glenn knew Carol’s style and to be honest Carol loved everything he had in the box for her home.

 

They spent the night sitting around eating pizza and drinking soda talking about the house and the kitten while they tried to avoid the topic of Daryl in front of Charlie.


	7. Chapter 7

****************

 

“What do you want?” Daryl asked Glenn as he just walked through the door of Daryl’s apartment without even knocking.

 

“Hello to you too.” Glenn walked right over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer and cracked it open and sat down. “Shanes’ working and I’m bored.”

 

“Fine… as long as you are not here to harass me!”

 

“What would I have to harass you about?” Glenn asked him. “Have you done something wrong? Or something you are ashamed off or regret?”

 

“Fuck off!” 

 

“Don’t be like that, so why did you tell Carol you are bouncing?”

 

“I just am ok… I’m not doing it.” Daryl said. He looked at his phone as a text come through. “I have to go pick up Charlie from a school thing for Merle. Do you want to come?”

 

“Sure… but you are really good with kids…” Glenn said as they left Daryl’s place walking past Carols old place. “Now you probably won’t even see her anymore.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

“Daryl she doesn’t live there anymore, she moved out last weekend.” Glenn told him as Daryl stopped by her door.

 

“Bullshit.” He said, sure he hadn’t seen Carol since she come to his office but he just assumed she was avoiding him. He put his hand on her apartment door and turned the handle. The door swung open and revealed an empty apartment on the other side. “Fuck! Where did she go?”

 

“Thought you didn’t mind… or care.” Glenn said over his shoulder as he was still walking down the hallway. “I’m not telling you, if you want to see her you will have to call her yourself.”

 

“Fuck you…” Daryl muttered as he went down to his truck, unlocked it and climbed in and looked across at his friend who was climbing in beside him. “I’m just not good at it. I won’t be any good at it and its better off this way so from now on just shut it. I don’t want to know about it, hear about it or anything ok.”

 

“Fine… fine…” Glenn looked out the window and sighed. “At least you are going to have a kid… I’m never going to.”

 

“Not my problem.” Daryl said starting his car up. “Go adopt or foster one.”

 

Glenn just sat there staring out the window saying nothing while Daryl drove across town to the ice skating rink to pick up his niece. Merle had asked Daryl to do it and he agreed like always run about around town to pick her up.

 

“Hi uncle Daryl… Glenn can we give Carl a ride home too?” Charlie opened the back of the car and both her and Carl climbed in the back.

 

“As long as Carl’s dad knows I’m dropping him?”

 

“Yeah I told him I’d catch a ride with Merle so you will do.” Carl said.

 

“Thanks… Carl… what am I chopped liver?” Daryl mumbled. Daryl didn’t notice the two teens roll their eyes at him or Glenn fiddling with the rear view mirror to see them holding hands in the back seat. He gave Daryl a tap on the arm so he could see. He just frowned when he saw what was being pointed out to him. 

 

Daryl jerked on the steering wheel slightly so they pulled their hands apart knowing that they had been caught by Daryl. “Hands where I can see them.”

 

“See… you are a natural.” Glenn muttered.

  
  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8

 

))))))))))))))))))))

))))))))))))))))))

 

“Oh my god! Can you just stop!” Carol hissed at Michonne. “I’m fine, its fine… everything is just fine!”   
  


“We all know fine doesn’t mean fine… don’t you give me fine!” Michonne said back. “We all know he a prick and left you high and dry because he has some issues.”   
  


“Leave it… I’ll give him a month then check in with him and see if he wants to come to the twenty week scan and see if its a boy or a girl ok… but if he says no you all need to just leave me alone.” Carol said.

 

“Fine…!” Michonne turned it back on her. “Oh don’t look now its your stalker!”

 

“God… not today.” Carol turned to see a guy that come in twice a week for a coffee and to try hit on her. It was so awkward and he was awkward Carol felt like she was in some practising your hit up lines to someone. “Good morning Eugene what can I get you today?”

 

“Why hello Carol….” Eugene wandered off on some awkward tangent about coffee beans and Carol nodded and agreed with him when she thought she should and smiled at him handing him his coffee.

 

Michonne was standing by watching and then he finally had the nerve to ask Carol out.

 

“Would you like to go to the movies with me? There is a new documentary on about coffee beans and how they are roasted just so… I believe there is coffee testing after.” Eugene stated.

 

“I’m sorry Eugene I can’t drink coffee…. I’m pregnant!” Carol said slowly and carefully not to hurt his feelings. “But I do know someone who loves those sorts of films do you want me to ask her for you? Maybe set you both up for a coffee tomorrow?”

 

Eugene coughed and spluttered that he would have to think about it that he really only asked her because she made coffee and he backed his way out of the shop into Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh who were coming into the shop for their morning brew.

 

“Whats up with him?” Shane asked elbows up on the counter leaning over to kiss Carol’s cheek. “Why are you blushing?”

 

“Carol just got asked out on a date!” Michonne blurted out to the men who both made the appropriate noises about it. Rick leaned over to give Michonne a kiss. 

 

“Can Carl hang out here in the staffroom after school? He needs to hang out before basketball practise and we are working later than I thought,”

 

“Sure…” Carol was bagging them up some lunch to take with them for the afternoon. She nodded that it was fine with her and Michonne said that they actually didn’t have to ask, she was happy if Carl was happy to hang out they could just show up there.

 

“And…. I think he has a little crush on Merle Dixon’s daughter… so you might have her too and remind him who’s daughter she is Merle won’t care his daddy is a cop!”

 

Carol had a bit of grin on her face knowing Merle was just discovering his little tomboy was turning into a very pretty teen girl who was funny and kind and nice to be around. He had boys randomly show up at their place looking for her to go to a movie she had heard and he wasn’t happy about it.

 

The men stayed for a few more minute before Carol and Michonne got caught up with the morning tea rush and snowballed into the lunch rush. Rick watched as they walked out to their car as Shane was texting someone. Then he laughed and looked at Rick.

 

“Just told Glenn Carol got asked out on a hot date…. You know he’s going to be right on the phone to tell Daryl… and hopefully that will make him think a little bit.” Shane told him. Rick just shook his head but he kinda wanted to be in the room when Daryl found out. Even if it was a date turned down.


	9. Chapter 9

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“The fuck!” Daryl hissed when he looked down at his phone. “MERLE!”

 

Daryl shouted at his brother storming over towards his office. “The fuck you want me to pick up Charlie for… you are here…. And you want me to pick her up from Carol’s shop?”

 

“Yeah… I’m busy!” Merle said looking up from his computer, Daryl could see he was playing a online card game. 

 

“Busy my ass, go pick up your own kid!”

 

“Well I thought it would give you a chance to get your head out of your ass and talk with Carol.” Merle said. “Since she being asked out on dates and all that and your panties have been in a wad since you found out.”

 

Daryl took a deep breath and gave a slight nod. Merle was giving him a in with Carol without losing face by if she started throwing cup cakes at him he could walk out and text or call her later. He hoped she would talk to him.

 

Maggie gave a shout from inside the garage and both Merle and Daryl went in to see what was going on. Maggie looked over from the rigg she was working on and put turned her head towards the radio. She stopped for a moment and whistled as she held her hand up and turned up the radio to listen. Her hand went to her mouth and went white.

 

Merle looked over with a frown on his face. Daryl stopped in his tracks.

 

“What the fuck did they say?” Daryl asked he started running towards Maggie and looking around the shop. “Biting? People?”

 

“Going to get Charlie…” Merle shouted.

 

“Hang on, hang on.” Daryl, “Did they just say plague?”

 

“I’m going to get my kid… you wanna get yours and man up Daryl or you want it to get eaten by one of these man eating plague things.”

 

“I’m coming, but hang on….” Daryl said. “I think we need to think about things for a minute… get some shit. What do we have?”

 

For three frantic minutes Maggie, Daryl and Merle run through the garage, pulling down the doors to the car park and gathering tools to use for the people with the plague and some food.

 

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

 

“Oh my god, who can’t that guy open the door?” Michonne started walking over towards the door to open it, they were closing up for the day and the shop had been empty for twenty minutes.

 

“Michonne DON’T!” Carol shouted before Michonne opened the door. Michonne screamed as a bloody hand slapped at the door of the store. Carol bit in a scream and run across and helped Michonne push back on the door to keep it closed. She tried to turn the lock.

 

Carl and Charlie run out of the back office to see what the screaming was about Carl had a broom, not that he knew what was going on but it was better than nothing.

 

“Fuck… fuck!” Carl leaned in on Carol and Michonne keeping the door closed, the next moment the man trying to get in head come off his shoulders and Carol let out a scream and Michonne wasn’t much better, she never been so relieved to see Daryl Dixon wielding a sledgehammer in all her life.

 

“Open the door…!” He called out. Carol opened it and he and Merle pushed inside. Merle had parked the truck right up on the doorstep. Daryl was racing about pulling out food from their display. Carol was crying so he pulled her to him telling her it was going to be ok…. He thought… maybe… but he was all in.


	10. Chapter 10

 

“It doesn’t mean anything I’m still mad at you.’” Carol whispered into Daryl’s neck “But I’m scared. So it's all on you… but I’m still mad at you… but thanks for coming.”

 

Carol looked so scared she was shaking and Daryl started rubbing her back making sushing noises, he watched his brother trying to calm down both Michonne and his daughter. Maggie was standing guard at the front door watching people running down the road trying to get home. She unlocked the front door and pulled it open and a really flustered looking Glenn ran in and stopped when he hit Daryl.

 

“What the fuck… I… I think I wanna puke.” Glenn got out, Carol pointed to the bathroom.

 

“I”m scared too. I don’t know what the fuck is happening, I”m sorry’” Daryl said into her neck, “I don’t know what this is Carol. I really don’t.”

 

“What the hell are we going to do?” Merle looked at Daryl, who looked at a ashen faced Carol. Maggie looked like she was coping ok, watching the street. Carl was holding hands with Charlie and both of them were looking from Michonne to Carol wondering what they should do.

 

“I don’t know. Do you have a tv or radio or something?” Daryl asked Carol. She nodded and they went to turn the tv onto the news channel. They had one in the main area but they usually didn’t have it on unless they were there early or late.

 

“These roller doors, Do they come down on the inside or outside?” Maggie asked Michonne.

 

“We can push a button from in here and they will come down. We can override it and use a manual crank if we lose power.” Michonne showed Maggie were the switch was and they locked down the roller doors locking them in. 

 

“Have you heard from them?” Glenn asked Michonne? “Shane? Rick?”

 

Michonne just shook her head. She had tried calling Rick on the cell phone but they heard all police were being called in and trying to help.

 

“I don’t think we should stay in town,” Merle said, “I think if we stay here we are sitting ducks for those things. We should go head out of town find somewhere. What about the cabin in the quarry?” He looked at Daryl, Daryl looked around the small group.

 

“I don’t know.” They had three women, three guys and two kids. They would have to gather up supplies and try get out of town as quick as possible. Glenn made frantic hand waving motions his cell was ringing.

 

“Hi…. at Carol’s shop. We are ok, me, Carol, Michonne, Merle, Daryl, Maggie and Carl and Charlie.” Glenn listed off who they had with them. “We will meet you at the cabin, if we are not there….”

 

“Tell him we will be at the quarry or tell him we will be at that fishing hut by blue creek, we went there a few years ago ok. But quarry first, If we are not there we will leave a plan ok.”

 

Glenn gave on the information and they gathered anything from Carol’s store that they would need. It was getting dark outside and the lights had gone off. There was screaming and gun fire. Glenn was sobbing in a corner, the last text he got from Shane was that he and Rick were breaking rank and going home to get as many supplies as possible and they would meet them at the cabin. That was if they could get out of the store.

 

“You locked that back door right?” Merle asked Carol, she shook her head and Merle and Daryl raced to lock the back door. They didn’t want any of those things getting in or anyone getting in that could hurt them to try save themselves.

 

“We should go upstairs, try sleep.” Michonne suggested after a while. They all nodded and followed her up the stairs, there was a small unit with a bathroom and shower. A bed and it had been storage for a while, it had mattress, old camping supplies and in the kitchen there was plenty of food that they kept up there to supply the down stairs. They ate what they could of cold food and then one by one they went to sleep. 

 

Carol finally fell asleep against Daryl’s side. She was wedged between him and Charlie. Maggie was on Charlie's other side the girl had cuddled into Maggie's arms all the things she hated about Maggie had gone out the window. 

 

“What's it like out there?” Daryl asked Merle who was watching out the window.

 

“Its bad…  real bad.” Merle said. “Don’t know how we are going to get out of here tomorrow.” 

 

“I know how to hotwire a car.” Glenn whispered across the room. Merle and Daryl looked at him. “What… how do you think I met Shane. I talked myself out of an arrest and into a date… Don’t judge me.”

 

Daryl and Merle just shook their heads. Daryl tried to go to sleep so he could take over watching for Merle in a few hours. Then they would see what tomorrow would bring.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Chapter 11

 

“Run you mutherfucker!” Shane was pulling Rick along by his jacket, he had tripped over his feet but Shane wasn’t letting him recover. They were running for their lives looking over their shoulders and running up the street towards Shane and Glenn's house. 

 

Shane ran up the drive looking over his shoulder hoping they were ahead of the groaning dead people that were running along behind them. 

 

He slammed the key in the door and flung it open, pulled Rick in behind him and both of the gasped for breath as they leaned against the front door. Both of them dressed in their police uniform and both of them ran from active duty after they told as many people to get home and save them self before they saw a co police officer being eaten in front of them by three dead people they hightailed it out of there fast.

 

“What the hell is it?” Rick looked at Shane. 

 

“I don’t know,” Shane pulled out his cell phone and saw he had no coverage, he tried to turn on and of the lights they were still working. But he was reluctant to turn them on because the dead might be attracted to the light like moths to the flame.

 

“We need to get some gear together and meet the others.” Shane whispered, he didn’t know why he was whispering but it seemed appropriate.

 

Rick was looking out the eye hole to see what was going on in the street, there wasn’t anyone about. It was dark and all they could  see was dead people jerking about shuffling in one direction down the street.

 

“Michonne has Carl, and the Dixons with her, Carol and Maggie, everything is ok as long as we all meet up.” Rick said. “No phone line?” He looked and Shane tapping the phone  trying to get a dial signal.

 

“No phone. Shit, shit, shit, Glenn isn’t going to be good at this… he’s not really into roughing it.” Shane walked through the house in the dark and opened the fridge. He started eating straight out of the fridge.

 

“If Glenn saw you…”

 

“I know… but he’s not here you want something, we probably should eat as much as we can.” Shane said with a mouthful of ham. “Take all the dry stuff and can’s.”

 

“It’s not like we can run to the store.”

 

“You think?” Shane laughed.

 

“But seriously do you think these things can get in here? Should we put furniture in front of the door and sleep upstairs?” Rick asked.

 

“I’ve got a boyfriend… Thanks for the offer.”

 

“You ass…”

 

“Yeah we should go up, pack as much shit as we can and then go in the morning, safer I think.”

 

Shane pulled out two back packs and put in changes of clothes for Glenn and him in the same bag, a couple of hoodies and Rick put as many things in the other pack that he could think of that they might need. He tried to lift it onto his back and couldn’t move it. They then split the supplies between the two bags.    
  
Shane filled water containers that he had in the garage and  put them in the back of his pick up that was parked in the garage. They put as much stuff in the back as they could. Tents, blankets, tarps and anything that would be useful if they could fit it in they took it.

 

It was after midnight both Shane and Rick fell asleep quite quickly sprawled out together across Shanes bed, deciding that it was safer and on top of that they had weapons beside the bed ready to grab. Both of them tried to block out the dead’s noise from outside and worry about their partners across town.


	12. Chapter 12

Merle, Daryl and Glenn took turns at watching out the window at the streets below while the women slept. As dawn was coming Daryl cast his eyes across the room, everyone was asleep and the street was setting down. Only one of those dead things were stumbling about in the street below. He wondered if they should get moving before the streets become crowded again.

 

“Wake up guys, its time to get moving,” Daryl started waking everyone. He shook Carol’s shoulder and she rolled over looking at him. 

 

“Its wasn’t a dream was it?” she asked him.

 

He shook his head. They started getting together and using the toilet, washing their hands and trying to get themselves sorted to leave. They ate food and had a bottle of drink each. 

 

‘Where is your car parked?” Daryl asked Carol.

 

“Its out the back, keys are here.”

 

Daryl and Merle looked out the back into the side alleyway where both Carol and Michonnes car’s were parked. They started filling the trunk with all the supplies and bottled drinks they could. They slipped out the back of the shop both Daryl and Merle driving a car each. 

 

Michonne stayed with Carol as she was feeling sick. Daryl was keeping an eye on everything. Carl come with Michonne, Daryl gave him a wrench that he pulled out of Carol’s trunk. They were going to have to get more weapons if things were going to get bad. 

 

They had discussed before leaving where they were going to go and how many supplies they might need. They decided to hit Carols house, and Merle’s place while Merle went Michonne home to get some hunting supplies that Rick had.

 

Carol opened her front door and her kitten come to meet her, she picked it up and looked at Daryl. 

 

“As long as we can ok, I’m not making any promises, you will have to try train it so it doesn’t wander off ok.”

 

“Ok,” Carol stroked its head wondering if it would be better to leave it, there were birds in the woods, and a creek. It would be able to catch its own food and there was a cat door for it to come inside. She was torn.

 

“I’ll grab the food, Michonne go with Carol, get sleeping bags if you have them, warm clothes, and travel light.” Daryl told them. 

 

Carl helped get clothing and to get stuff. Daryl backed the car right up to her front porch. He looked down the street keeping an eye out. Other seemed to have the same idea, they were loading up their cars and tying stuff to the rooftops.

 

Michonne come out and looked about.

 

“It crazy,” She said. 

 

“I know, I don’t know whats going on.” Daryl said. “Where’s Carol?”

 

“Taking a shower, really I just think she’s crying.”

 

“Should I go?” 

 

“I don’t know, maybe. Give me that…. What is it? A sledge hammer?” Michonne picked it up and tested its weight. “I can work with this if I need it.”

 

Daryl headed down the hall spotting Carl coming up with a bag. “Whats in the bag?”

 

“Baby stuff, diapers, wool singlets, little suits, hats, and blankets.” Carl said. “Carol said to take it.”

 

“Ok, go help Michonne watch the street.”

 

Daryl tapped on the bathroom door, “Its me… I’m coming in.”

 

He opened the door and saw her sitting on the floor of the shower crying. It was gut wrenching, she was notably pregnant now. He felt like shit for ignoring her for so long.

 

“Come on now, lets get you out and dressed and into some decent clothes. We have to catch up with the others.” Daryl helped her up and wrapped her in a towel. He helped her dress into cargo preggy pants and bra and tee shirt. He looked through her wardrobe pulling out a warm coat and hat and gloves. It wasn’t cold now but in a month or two it might be. For all he knew they wouldn’t be coming back here.

 

“Ok lets go.” Daryl said, he held out his hand for her, souped up her kitten in the other and they went out the door into her car and fought the traffic finally driving on the sidewalk to Merles place.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. Chapter 13

“You arn’t going out there are you?” Michonne asked Daryl, they pulled up outside Merle’s house and there were three dead staggering around on the front lawn, lurching from side to side. Daryl reconized all three of being Merles neighbours and one was the old lady across the road who used to babysit Charlie from time to time. 

 

“Well… we could just sit in here and wait for them to leave?” Carl suggested.

 

“You got that knife? Pass me that sledge hammer.” Daryl said to Carl.

 

“No… what if… what if it… they bite you too?” Carol asked them.

 

Daryl sat there and they were all getting hotter in the car, Daryl started it up again and asked for the knife. He drove forward a small way up the driveway getting their attention. They come clawing at the windows. Daryl pushed the button so his window went down a few inches and then he took the knife and shoved it through the eye of the dead woman trying to eat him. Both Carol and Michonne squealed.

 

Daryl passed the knife to Carl indicating that he should try to do the same with the dead at his window. Carl cringed as he tried to gently push the knife through the eye of the dead man trying to bite him through the window.

 

“Push real hard.” Daryl told him. Carl shut his eyes and shoved the knife as hard as he could and pulled it back. The dead man dropped like a stone to the ground.

 

“Your turn Carol.” Daryl told her as Carl passed her the knife.

 

“I’ll puke.” She said.

 

“Just pretend its a dead fish or something. Or we are going to be here all day.”

 

Carol wound down her window a few inches like Daryl did and tried her best to shove the knife through the eye of the dead, it was squishy going through the eye and she lost the knife when she let it go when he started to fall.

 

“I’m sorry…” She whispered.

 

“Its fine.” Daryl started to get out of the car, he turned it off and took the sledge hammer. “Don’t get out until I tell you too. Leave the kitten in the carrier ok… but bring it inside incase we have to stay her for a while.” Daryl pocketed the keys and walked out looking about 

 

Daryl walked around and retrieved his knife. They wanted to get to Merles because in the lock up in the garage was all their hunting gear. Everything that they would need. He gave them all a nod and they should follow him in. He went to open Merle’s door and it just swung open.

 

He held his hand up that they should wait while he went in. He didn’t know what to do if to leave them outside or bring them into the hallway. In the end he thought it would be best to bring them into the hallway at least there was protection and he hoped the house wasn’t filled with the dead.

 

He handed Carl a statue of one of the Lord or the Rings characters that was in the hallway. He opened the hallway cupboard door and just about shat himself.

 

“Jesus fuck!” Daryl punched the man in there.

 

“Thought you were one of those dead fuckers!” Daryl’s cousin come out of the closet. “Hey,” He nodded at everyone.

 

Daryl’s cousin Murphy come out of the closet giving everyone the sexy wink that he was known for, but really Carol and Michonne nearly peed themselves.

 

“You here alone?” Daryl asked.

 

“Yeah, Con was at work and we talked on the phone last night and said we would meet up here. Didn’t know if you were one of those walking lurchers or who the fuck you were!” 

 

“We need to get all the guns, and hunting stuff. We are going out to grandpa’s cabin.” Daryl told him. He pointed to the couch for Carol who was looking pale and indicated that Carl should wait with her for a moment. He gave Carl a knife.

 

Murphy and Daryl made quick work off getting all the weapons out. 

 

“Fuck man you got a lot of things here. You been anticipating a world ending?”

 

“No just we gathered up stuff over the years.” Daryl started loading stuff into a hunting back pack. Murphy started doing the same thing. Michonne meanwhile was distracted with a sword.

 

“Be careful with that fucken thing. You could kill someone with it.” Daryl told her.

 

“I think thats going to be the point. Do you think it will take off heads?”  She asked the men.

 

“As long as you don’t take off my head. Practise with the cover on for god’s sake.” Murphy growled as Michonne started waving it around.

 

Daryl brought in some weapons, he was sporting a crossbow on his back and knives on his side. He had a belt with a knife and gun on it and indicated that Carol should stand up. She did and he tried to get it around her waist. She was saying she didnt want to wear it.

 

“Humor me ok. You might need it.” 

 

“Fine…”

 

Daryl put weapons on everyone and it was starting to get dark outside. The whole day had speed past. They were not going out in the dark. Murphy and Daryl decided that it would be best to start making the house safer. In the end they decided it was too hard and dragged all the mattresses and blankets into the lounge.

 

Michonne and Carol cooked up as much food as they could fine. They knew that they wouldn’t be able to take all the frozen meat with them so they cooked it so at least it would last a bit longer. Carol struggled to eat but Michonne basically forced fed her. Once she started eating she realized that she was quite hungry. 

 

They all took showers, the power was still going so they decided to take advantage of it. Daryl was going through all Merle’s clothes in the dark when Carol come into Merles room, she looked at Daryl and bit down on her lip.

 

“Do you think we are going to make it?” She asked him.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t know…” He pulled her close and he knew she was going to cry, “But we are going to try honey, we will try. We will get to the cabin, see if we can put some walls up and go from there ok.”

 

Carol nodded and he held her tighter until she calmed enough to go back to the rest of the group and between, Daryl, Murphy and Michonne they would take turns watching and all of them would get some sleep. Carol offered to take a turn but they all turned her down to get some sleep while she could it was the best thing for her and the baby.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, school holidays here, still another couple of weeks off for the kids. Hope you are still about.

Daryl finally slept when murphy took over, Michonne and Daryl had watched out the slits in the Garage door for some time watching the dead stagger around in the street for a long time before deciding to go swap with Murphy.

 

Carl and Carol slept through it all. Carol was sleeping sound Daryl was pleased because she looked like she was getting very stressed out about everything.

 

He rolled into her back and wrapped his arms around her and finally went into a fitful sleep until it was daylight. When he woke, Murphy was sleeping and Carl was on watch. 

 

“Anything happening?” Daryl asked Carl.

 

“Nothing, just those dead people. No live people or anything.” Carl said. “Do you think Dad will be ok?”

 

“I think so. Glenn, Merle, Maggie and Charlie are probably already at the cabin. They are probably there waiting for us.”

 

“I hope so.” Carl said.

 

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“Run, Run…. move…” Merle was pulling Charlie alone by the arm. Maggie was ahead of him going fun ninja on anything that got in their way and Glenn was keeping up the rare with a bag of guns on his shoulder. 

 

Maggie was clearing the way because Charlie had freaked out when they couldn’t make it back to their truck that morning and had to make a run for it to the cabin. It was still twenty miles away. Merle was keeping an eye out for an abandoned car or truck or something.

 

“Charlie… I need you to run honey…” Merle tried to talk calmer to her. The street were chaos and there were people everywhere. Running, scrambling. A man had grabbed Charlie and pushed her towards a dead walker to save himself. Glenn had managed to grab her back in time and take out the walker with a gunshot to the head then to everyone’s surprise Maggie pulled out the gun of Shane’s Glenn had given her and shot the man in the head as he was running off to save himself.

 

“Keep your hands off my girl!” She shouted as she took aim.

 

Charlie screamed and Merle who had been trying to take the lead taking out the dead hadn’t seen what happened behind him turned to see both Charlie and Maggie embracing. But then Charlie was almost frozen in a trance, scared to move.

 

Glenn stood by using a small machete knocking out any dead that was coming near them while waiting for Merle to decide what to do next. He was in the zone and found his inner beast and was taking them out harder and faster with every swing.

 

“We need to move Merle!” He said. He nodded to Merle like he should toss his kid over his shoulder if she wouldn’t move fast, she might get them all killed at this rate.

 

Merle tried door after door on car’s finally finding a truck with actual keys in the ignition and they quickly climbed in and drove off slowly down the road, avoiding the people and avoiding the dead. Driving to where they hoped the others would meet them.

 

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“Where the fuck are they?” Shane walked up and down the porch of the cabin, watching the road and watching the lake. Rick shook his his head, he didn’t really know. He just hopped that Michonne and Carl were going to be ok and get there soon.

 

“Calm down. They will be here.” Rick said.

 

“How can you be so calm, you don’t know where your kid is or your woman.”

 

“Glenn will be here, I don’t know how or where they will get here, this is the meeting place, its not over run. You know how hard it was for us to get here they will be going through the same thing. We should eat something.” Rick said. “Board up the windows, make the place safer.”

 

“Ok… ok…” Shane followed Rick inside and shut the door. They ate the food that would go to waste first before going back outside to see how they could fix the cabin up so the windows would be safer and maybe bring in some wood if they needed it.

 

The cabin was rustic in some ways but modern in others, it had a inside bathroom and toilet, solar panels on the roof and while there was water in the lake there was also a well that pumped water up to the house for them to use. It was a good set up if they could get enough food. 

 

It was ideal for Merle and Daryl for weekends hunting and fishing, more rooms were added after Merle took custody of Charlie and when he started dating Maggie they added the new porch and solar panels to the roof as a way of making it a nice simple get away for them.

 

“I’m just worried. What do we do if they don’t show up. How long do we wait?” Shane said.

 

“As long as it takes, and if we run out of food we go to find more and we wait. They will walk here if they have to. But they will get here.” 

 

Shane nodded, he was worried sick about Glenn and didn’t want to think about him being out there with the dead. He didn’t think he would be able to survive it on his own.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	15. Chapter 15

 

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Daryl  was walking the rear, Carol was at his side, she had a small daypack on her back, all they would let her carry. She looked tired and worried, she had white knuckles clutching at the straps of her day pack, she was glancing around all the time and watching Daryl.

 

Daryl was watching her, he had told the rest of the group that it wasn’t a race and to pace themselves so they were not tired if something come up and they had to move fast. He told them if something happened to all head to the pine tree they could see in the distance about seven miles away half way up the side of the mountain that was near the cabin. He just wanted a meeting point. He didn’t want the group to split up but if they did they needed to know where to go.

 

“You ok?” Daryl asked Carol for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Things hadn’t gone as expected.

 

“So far so good. I think I’m going to need some better walking boots though.” She told him looking down at her sneakers.

 

“Yeah… we will look for some more supplies,” Daryl told her, “In a few days… when the others come.”

 

She didn’t reply, she just nodded, she knew there might be a chance that nobody came. They didn’t want to voice that out loud.

 

The rest of the belongings had been passed out between Murphy, Carl, and Michonne. Carol did have a small over the shoulder bag like a hand bag of Charlies that had the tiny kitten in it. A knife and gun at her waist. Daryl had a full backpack, his crossbow, guns and knives on his waist. 

 

Everyone else was carrying on their backs or in bags what they could. They had hidden some of their belongings thinking they could go back and get it if they needed it. They had what they needed to survive and that was about it. Daryl had been ruthless in leaving stuff they didn’t need behind.

 

The most important ways to keep rested and to keep their water intake high so that they could make it to the cabin by night fall. 

 

The truck they had been driving had gotten a flat and the spare was flat so they were walking the last four miles up the dirt road to the cabin. No one really ever come this way. They hadn’t come across any dead as yet but they were not to sure.

 

They heard a vehicle coming up the road behind them. Murphy looked excited and stood there trying to tell Daryl it was Connor, Daryl wasn’t going to take any risks.

 

Daryl made everyone get off the road and hide behind trees until they could see who it was. Everyone was scrambling now to stay alive and they had seen it first hand on the way here people taking what others had so they could keep alive. 

 

He didn’t want anything to happen and they were like sitting ducks on the open road. Not many people came up to the quarry, even though it was marked on the map a lot of them bypassed it go go to more up market places with cafes and other things on offer.

 

They watched as a dark gray sleek sports car slowly made its way up the road and come to a stop near them.

 

“Its Connor!” Murphy was already going out to greet his twin. How Conner knew to stop Daryl wondered if they still had their twin thing going on like when they were kids they couldn’t play hide and seek because they knew where each other were.

 

“Con…” Murphy called out the two brothers hugged it out and Daryl helped Carol out from behind the bush and Carl and Michonne come slowly behind.

 

“Aye Daryl fine mess this shit is. Hi lovely whats your name?” Conner said to Carol, “Top of the morning to you!” He greeted Michonne.

 

“Fuck off she’s with me.” Daryl growled. “And that’s Michonne, she’s Rick’s and thats Carl. This is Carol. This is my cousin Connor, Murphy’s twin.”

 

They all said hi to each other and climbed into the car. Carol ended up on Daryl’s lap, Michonne and Carl were squished in together with Murphy in the back as it was really only a car for two people in the front. The back was just really decoration.

 

“Get your hand off my ass!” Michonne hissed at Murphy.

 

“It was a accident.” They wriggled around some more and it ended up Carl was sitting on Murphy and they drove off slowly up to the cabin. When they arrived they could see Rick and Shane pointing their guns towards the car wondering who it was.

 

Connor and Carol managed to untangle themselves first and slowly Daryl and the ones in the back managed to make their way out of the car.

 

Rick hugged Carl, then Michonne telling them he was glad they were their safe. He looked around the small group noticing that most were still missing but they now had the twins in tow. 

 

“Where is Glenn? Merle? Maggie?” Shane asked he looked panic’d.

 

“I don’t know!” Daryl looked around. They were already a day late and it was starting to get late afternoon. He hoped his brother was ok, there was no way of knowing where to start looking for them. All they knew was to show up at the cabin and they would go from there.


	16. Chapter 16

 

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“How much further is it?” Maggie asked Merle, “Can we make it on foot?”

 

“Its another four miles.” Merle said, he and Glenn were glancing around, they were at the edge of the woods, they were tossing up to try going cross country or following the road. If they stuck to the road they could be sitting ducks but if they went through the woods they might not see what is coming for them. And Charlie was still upset about what happened earlier.

 

“If we follow the road, wouldn’t that be easest or…” Glenn looked up, he could hear a car coming down the road slowly, Merle dragged them all into the woods to hide in case it was someone crazy. 

 

The car came closer and closer, Merles group were all lying on their stomachs waiting and watching to see who could be driving down from the cabin. He really thought that it would be someone they knew but after what happened to Charlie he didn’t want to take that risk again. 

 

Glenn stood up as the car drew close seeing Shane behind the wheel waving him down. The car come to a stop and Glenn waved, he helped Merle get Charlie to her feet and between the three of them they had her in the car in no time.

 

“Babe!” Glenn leaned across and gave Shane a quick kiss, “Its brutal out there.” 

 

“You been bit? You all ok?” Shane asked them.

 

“We are all fine, some crazy people out there right now. I think we just need to lay low until the stupid take out the stupid!”  Merle said from the back seat. He glanced across the top of his daughters head to glance at Maggie. She sighed and didn’t know what to make of everything. 

 

“Did the others make it?” Maggie asked Shane.

 

“Daryl, Carol, Michonne and Carl arrived earlier today. Conner and Murphy too.”

 

“Fuck me…” Merle muttered hearing that their womanising cousins were going to be holed up in the cabin with them. “Are you kidding me?”

 

“Yip they just come out of the woodwork at the first sign of trouble.” Shane said. “The boys are up there trying to sort out some sort of fencing to keep the dead out and us alive. I don’t know. We need some sort of plan.”

 

Merle didn’t know what to do. Glenn just sat there trying to relax while Shane took them the rest of the way to the cabin.  Fifteen odd people in the cabin, what could possibly go wrong.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> little update, been without a laptop, only phone lately, hopefully I can get this sorted, have so many ideas. not enough time.

  
  
  


“Ok so what is the plan… what are we going to do?” Shane looked about the men, Michonne and Carol came close to hear the men talking in the lounge of the cabin, Charlie and Carl had been sent through to the bedroom with the bags and kitten and told to keep their hands to themselves.

 

Maggie was going through the cupboards to see how much food they had and what provisions were still in the cabin, from what she could tell they had enough food to last for two weeks before they had to go look for more.

 

“Hunt I guess, and try put up some sort of barrier so those fuckers can’t get through I guess.” Merle said, he started walking through to the kitchen to see how Maggie was getting on. Maggie tried to look positive. She wasn’t doing that good a job though at it. Merle gave her a hug and whispered, “It’s going to be ok.”

 

“Is it, that man was going to bite Charle… and Glenn shot off its head…” Maggie whispered. “How is this going to be ok?”

 

“I don’t know… I don’t but we have to try. We are safe here for a bit I guess.” Merle said.

 

“If we lay low, hopefully those things will take each other out. If we can stay here for a bit we might avoid all the chaos then we can head into town try get some provisions, Merle and I can hunt.” Daryl suggested, his eyes met Carols, they both knew having a baby while this was going on was going to be dangerous. “We could try find somewhere with walls that is going to keep them out.”

 

“Ye ain’t the only one who can hunt cuz… Murphy and I can hunt, we can all take watch for those fuckers and take them out together.” Conner said.

 

“I’ll take first watch!” Glenn said, he went to move and grabbed a baseball bat to go out the front door to take watch, Shane glared at him. 

 

“You?” Shane asked.

 

“You should have seen him, he kicked ass!” Merle called out from the kitchen.

 

“He sure did,” Maggie added, “He saved Charlie.”

 

“So did you!” Merle said to her, she nodded, they both did.

 

Shane and Glenn went outside and took first watch watching for anything unusual, Murphy and Connor took the row boat out onto the lake to see if they could catch some fish to boost the food supply and be relatively safe while doing so.

 

“You should take a nap,” Daryl suggested to Carol, she was standing there wringing her hands watching out the window. “Please, the stress isn’t good for the baby, and we don’t want anything to go wrong right now.”

 

“Ok… lie with me?” She said, he nodded and followed her down to one of the bedrooms. The cabin had three bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and dining room. They were all going to have to squeeze in together for everyone to fit in. He was damn sure he and Carol were going to have their own room or at least Carol was, even if she had to share with the women to sleep at night. 

 

She fell asleep quickly and Daryl snuck out to the lounge to talk with Merle, Michonne, Rick and Maggie about working with weapons so they could take on the dead easily and be sure about how to kill them.

 

“But won’t the government sort this out?” Michonne asked Rick.

 

“I dont’ think so…. I think its all over the place, everyone for themselves. There is going to be looting for electronics and material things before people realize they are going to need food, water and shelter to survive and its going to be survival of the fittest.” He told her.


End file.
